The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued Change Request (CR) 8858 which instructs the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to promote three specific testing weeks with providers, and provide data and statistics to CMS that demonstrates readiness for the International Classification for Disease 10th Edition Clinical Modification (ICD-10) transition.

The testing weeks are scheduled for:

November 17 – 21, 2014

March 2 – 6, 2015

June 1 – 5, 2015

While submitters may test ICD-10 claims at any time through implementation, the ICD-10 testing weeks have been created to generate awareness and interest, and to instill confidence in the provider community that CMS and the MACs are ready and prepared for the ICD-10 implementation.

These testing weeks will allow trading partner’s access to MACs and Common Electronic Data Interchange (CEDI) for testing with real-time help desk support. The event will be conducted virtually and will be posted on the CMS website, the CEDI website, and each MAC's website.

Nursing is our nation’s most trusted profession, says the latest Gallup poll of Honesty/Ethics in Professions. This finding comes as no surprise since nurses have topped the list for 14 of the past 15 years. “Nurses consistently get these high marks because of their empathy, professionalism, and compassion,” said Val J. Halamandaris, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC). To honor their achievements, NAHC and its affiliate Home Healthcare Nurses Association (HHNA) have held their third annual Nurse Recognition Program. This year, like previous years, thousands of agencies nationwide sent in their candidates for America’s top home care and hospice nurses.

The 50 winners we feature stand out for their clinical skills — and their compassion. Among this year’s finalists, there is a Georgia nurse who sang with her patient to gain his trust, a New York nurse who gave a frightened young mom the confidence to finish school, a Kansas nurse whose teenage patient is thrilled that she always gets the IV in on the first poke, the Arizona nurse who holds ice cream parties for a patient with Down syndrome and dementia. There is also the Iowa nurse who turned a patient’s home into an ICU so he could end life in the place he loved most, and the Delaware nurse who made a diagnosis that escaped several doctors.

This year’s Annual Meeting features track-specific educational sessions, informative round table discussions and much, much more. Below are some of the sessions included in this year’s Legal & Regulatory Track:

Strong Home Care Group, Inc. (SHCG) is the sole member of the certified agency Visiting Nurse Service of Rochester and Monroe County, Inc. (VNS) and of the licensed agency Signature Care (VNSC). In turn, VNS is the sole member of the licensed agency Finger Lakes Visiting Nurse Service, Inc. (FLVNS) and the licensed agency Finger Lakes Home Care, Inc. (FLHC). The combined agencies serve seven (7) counties

Job Description: Strong Home Care Group, Inc. seeks a dynamic, strategic, and visionary leader for the five corporations. The President and CEO is accountable for assuring that home and community-based services meet the strategic needs of UR Medicine and aspire to set national benchmarks for patient outcomes, patient satisfaction and cost efficiency.

Qualifications:

Master’s degree in a health-related or business field. Must have 5-10 years of progressive experience in leadership management.

Experience within a health system and/or academic medical center.

Demonstrated success as a visionary thinker with the ability to plan for the future and to execute action plans.

Expert knowledge of the home care and health industry.

Knowledge of regulatory and The Joint Commission accreditation requirements.